The real fiscal cliff is the one that awaits us, and nothing happened tonight to avoid that.

“I ran for office because I wanted to be a part of solving these big problems, and time and again we're faced with options here that don't really do that," he said.

"The real fiscal cliff is the one that awaits us, and nothing happened tonight to avoid that.”

In a statement Tuesday, Rubio added: "Rapid economic growth and spending reforms are the only way out of the real fiscal cliff our nation is facing," Rubio said. "But rapid economic growth and job creation will be made more difficult under the deal reached here in Washington.

“Thousands of small businesses, not just the wealthy, will now be forced to decide how they'll pay this new tax and, chances are, they'll do it by firing employees, cutting back their hours and benefits, or postponing the new hire they were looking to make. And to make matters worse, it does nothing to bring our dangerous debt under control.

"Of course, many Americans will be relieved in the short term that their taxes won't go up. However in the long run, they will be hurt when employers pass on to them one of the largest tax hikes in decades. Furthermore, this deal just postpones the inevitable, the need to solve our growing debt crisis and help the 23 million Americans who can't find the work they need."